Although he's been playing mostly in midfield this year I still feel Javier Zanetti is the best right back in the world.

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Good shout. Usually a lock when doing world XI's (etc) during the 90's but has been under the radar recently (unfairly imo). Zambrotta is great but I don't think he has performed to his best at Barca yet so I am not prepared to put him at number one for this position yet. Therefore Sagnol gets my vote.

Why are German and BUndesliga players never mentioned in polls like these? Is it pure retardation or what? Sagnol is the best RB on the planet. He proved it last season and he proved it during the World Cup. Zambrotta was for the longest time before him but sorry, he'll have to take a back seat. His season so far has been atrocious whereas Sagnol's is only getting better and better.

A right back who is completely inept in defence is never going to be the best in the world.

It's incredible just how over-rated some Arsenal players are. You would have thought that with almost all of them supposedly being world class they wouldn't be quite so poor in the league.

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you fool, do you not remember the Arsenal back four in last years Champions League. Eboue was a big part of the reason they went so long without conceding. Theres nothing wrong with his defending and he is easily the best full-back in the world in attack, without question. His pace and crossing ability are unmatched.

Theres nothing wrong with his defending and he is easily the best full-back in the world in attack, without question. His pace and crossing ability are unmatched.

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He is average at best defensively and no amount of attacking ability (which is over-rated for what it's worth) can make up for that. He's a good player, who performs his role well for Arsenal but he is a long way from being the best right back around.

Coming from a Milan fan that is high praise indeed. I'm not sure I would call him the best today, but over the past decade it's hard to argue for anyone being notably better than him.

Sagnol and Zambrotta are the two stand outs, with Neville in third place.

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Once again, no love for Steve Finnan? He is better going forward and had a much better year than G. Neville last year.

Neville is by no means a third place "lock". Why Steve Finnan is _never_ mentioned in this debate is beyond comprehension. Very few RBs over the last 3 years have been as good or as consistent. He is half the reason Gerrard played so well at "right" midfield and other times has had Garcia, Pennant, Nunez, Kromkamp and other no-show defensive players in front of him. He even played a handful of games at RM in Rafa's early days at LFC.

Last year, Finnan had the edge in crosses and was a better tackler [one of the Prem's best in percentage won]. This year it is a dead heat, but Finnan's Liverpool has largely been off-form this year. Nevertheless, he still produces at the very highest level.

So, how about at least a mention of him before we annoint everyone else?

He is average at best defensively and no amount of attacking ability (which is over-rated for what it's worth) can make up for that. He's a good player, who performs his role well for Arsenal but he is a long way from being the best right back around.

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I agree with you that he isn't the greatest defensively but he is only 23. He came out of nowhere and has been getting better and better. In the Champions League, he marked Robinho against Real and Ronaldinho against Barca and kept them both quiet. His technique is unrivaled at his position and if you don't agree right now that he is the best, just keep watching him and your opinion will change as he gains more experience.

Good shout. Usually a lock when doing world XI's (etc) during the 90's but has been under the radar recently (unfairly imo). Zambrotta is great but I don't think he has performed to his best at Barca yet so I am not prepared to put him at number one for this position yet. Therefore Sagnol gets my vote.

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Still can't believe Zanetti was left out of Argentina's WC squad. Absolutely mind-boggling.

Thanks for admitting you don't know a thing about Neville. No idea what you wrote next to Alves but the defensive side of his game is weak which is why he (a) gets so much attention due to his attacking nature and (b) doesn't merit mention in this thread.